Item retaining mechanism for accounting machines



Oct. 13, 1953 w. A. ANDERSON 2,655,312

ITEM RETAINING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 28, 1949 2Sheeis-Sheet 1 L INVENTOR. WALTER A. ANDERSON BY fiw/MM:

ATTORNEY Oct. 13, 1953 w. A. ANDERSON 2,655,312

ITEM RETAINING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 28, 1949 2Sheets-Sheet 2 JOURNAL 7/ Y STATEMENT X f LEDGER DEBIT CREDIT NEW BAL.DEBIT CREDIT NEW BAL. IUD-00 APR l 44 2K) 500 I05.00 APR I 44 2l0 5.00I05.00 5.00 MAYI 44 290 50.00 I55.00 MAY I 2-90 50.00 I55.00 3l4 75.00MAYBM 3M 75.00 60.00

INVENTOR. 59 WALTER A. ANDERSON BY Q. 4141 ATTZRNEV Patented Oct. 13,1953 ITEM RETAINING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Walter A.Anderson, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Underwood Corporation, NewYork, N. Y., a

corporation of Delaware Application December 28, 1949, Serial No.135,480

4 Claims. (01. 235-60.31)

Thi invention relates to accounting machines, and more particularly to atype of machine used for posting accounts receivable in which work itmay be desirable to print a total amount while a key set amount remainsindexed, although the invention is not limited to machines forperforming this particular type of Work.

In posting accounts of the above character, debits and credits are addedto and subtracted from an old balance, and a printed statement of thetransaction is given the customer. l-leretofore, in machines used forthis class oi work, the accounts were printed as original printing on aledger form, and a customers statement and a journal made by means of aninterposed carbon paper. In View of the tendency of the carbon copy tosmudge in the files, it is more desirable to print the various amountson the ledger and statement as original printing. To accomplish this,the forms are positioned side by side in the machine carriage and theamounts are imprinted thereon individually. In prior machines, eitherthe re-entering of the various amounts in the keyboard for printing onone or the other of the forms, or the accumulating of the variousamounts in different registers contained in the machine and printing theamounts as totals of those registers, is required. In either caseconsiderable machine operating time is required which slows up the work.It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide amechanism whereby an amount entered on the amount keyboard may beretained while total" taking is performed.

Another object is to provide an improved mechanism which will enable anoperator to take a correct total or sub-total from a totalizer while anindexed amount remains set up on the indexing means.

A further object is the development of a simple and inexpensiveimprovement in total-taking controls wherein an inadvertent operation ofa digit indexing key will not afieot the accuracy of the total.

Still another object is the provision of a totaltaking control mechanismwhich will, in conjunction with a repeat mechanism, permit theintermixing of repeat amount operations and total or sub-total-takingoperations without requiring the re-indexing of the amount after eachtotal or sub-total cycle.

A still further object is to provide a mechanism which will permit anoperator to index, during a total-taking cycle, the next amount which isto be entered.

With this and incidental objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, theimportant elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and apreferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter described withreference to the drawings which accompany and form part of thespecification.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a right side elevation showing the present invention and themechanism associated therewith in normal unoperated position,

Figure 2 is a partial side elevation and section showing the parts inthe position they occupy when the machine is at mid-cycle during atotaltalzing operation of the machine,

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the present invention and associatedparts in normal unoperated position,

Figure 4 is a detail view of the actuator provided for conditioning themachine for totaltaking while an amount is set up on the amountkeyboard, and

Figure 5 illustrates original printing on a ledger and statement asperformed on the machine.

The present invention is shown applied to a machine similar to the onedisclosed in the United States Patent No. 2,194,270 to Oscar J.Sundstrand, dated March 19, 1940, to which reference may be had for anunderstanding of features not fully illustrated or described herein.

General description Ihe machine includes generally a plurality of typebars for computing and printing numerical values which are raised toprinting positions by means of springs and returned to their normal orlowered position by means of a conventional motor-driven mechanism. Eachof the type bars carries an adding and a subtracting rack cooperatingwith a totalizer wheel which is provide with transfer devices foreffecting the transfer of an amount from one order to another. Themachine also includes a keyboard comprising, in part, amount keys forcontrolling the printing positions of the type bars for item enteringoperations, a repeat key for manually conditioning the machine forrepeat printing an amount entered on the amount keys, a motor bar foractuating the motor driven mechanism and keys for manually controllingsub-total and total-taking operations of the machine. Also included inthe machine is a traveling paper carriage automatically tabulated columnby column and automatically returned. The carriage includes a piaten forsupporting the work pieces on which printing is performed, and means forconditioning the machine to effect item entry, machine cycling, repeatprinting of an entered ite-. subtotalling and totalling operationsautomatically.

.lletazled description vertical movement to printing positions under theurge of springs (not shown). The extent of the vertical movement of thetype barsiznduringzan item entering operation is controlled by stops it,slidably supported in a frame l5 fixed-to the machine base indicatedgenerally by the dot and dash line it, that aremoveid "byamount keys ll,Figures 1 and 3, into the path :of .movement of vertically'disposed'rods 8 connected to arms .I 9 of the type bars 12. Movement ofthe stops It is elfected by means'identical with those disclosed in thePatent 2,194,270 referred to, said means including, generally, rodsslidably supported-in an upstanding hart fixed on a swinging arm 22pivoted on the machine frame. The rods 2c are connected at 23, Figure3,to'arms E l, pivoted on avertically disposed shaft 25 and connected bymeans 'of links Zfiwith cranks 2! .pivoted'in the inachine'frame. Aprojection 28 on the keys ll overlies the cranks 21 so that upon thedepression of the keys i l and rocking of the'cranksiil thereby thelinks 25, acting to pivotthe arms 24,.move the rods 2c rearwardly tostrike their associated stop l land move it to its extendedposition asis illustrated at Ma, Figure 2. Springs29 normally urge the rods 2i!forwardly and clear of the stops i i, and sustain the keys H in theirnormally raised position. The stops M are arranged in their supportingframe E5 in vertical rows, one row for each of the amount keys H, and incolumns transversely therein, one column for each of the type bars tothe numerical computing capacity provided in the machine.

The vertically disposed rods l3 are slidably supported in a block 39)fixedto a bracket 3! mounted-for'movement forwardly and rearwardly,

by means of slots '32 and 32a provided therein toreceive studs 33, ona'block 34 supported for movement transverselyonashaft 35 rigid in theframe 55. Also, the rods [8 are normally positioned to the left of thestops is by means of a .i;

pin 3" in the swingin arm 22 engaging a slot 37? provided therefor inthe block 34. The type bars 52 are normally positioned one space belowthe printing line on the platen l9, and are normally restrained fromrising above the cipher printing position by means of a detent plate 38fixed on the frame it. Mounted on the bra ket 3| are rollers 39 engagingin a channel 30. The channel ii? extends transversely in the frame l5and is mounted for forward and rearward movement on a plate ll formingpart of the frame bym'eans of studs 12 and. 'slots 43 provided therefor.Links etconnect the channel it and a bracket 45 fixed on a yoke 45. Theyoke 46 is pivoted on a shaft 1? rigid in the frame I5, is positionedlaterally thereon by the frame and a set screw collar '58, Figure 3, andis tensioned to rock clockwise about the shaft a! by means of a spring49, to urge the rear end of the slots 32 in the bracket 3! to bearagainst the studs 33 and position the vertically disposed rods isnormally under the control of the plate 38 and the stops I l. Ears 50forming part of the channel 43 rest on the shaft 41 to support thechannel and facilitate its free and easy movement on the studs 52, inthe manner and for the purpose to be later described.

Upon'the entering ofJa'n amount .inithe amount keys H and theeonsequent-movingof the stops it into the path of movement of the rodsI8,

the swinging arm 22 is swung from left to right, Figure .3, by means ofa substantially strong spring -(not shown), under the control of anindexing mechanism such as is shown in Figures 6: an'd'42-of the'Sundstrand patent referred to.

"Duringthe indexing movement of the swinging arm "22, -t'hepin "3ttherein moves the block 34 alcng the shaft-rel, with the rollers 39riding in the channel 56, carrying the block 39 with it to expose thevertically disposed rods Is to the control of the stops H3 in the propernumerical order of the amount entered in the amount keys H.

'The typebars lzcarry racks @5! and :52 forceoperation with totalizeradding Wheels 53 in ithe manner described in the patent referred to. Ingeneral, the wheels 53 contain .20 teeth an'dar'e arranged forengagement with the racks 5! for addition, and with the racks 52 forsubtraction under the control of the keys in the keyboard manually, orthe control of the traveling paper carriage automatically. Each wheel 53:is provided with lu s E l which *act upon transfer 'devices and 5% totransfer amounts from one order to another cluring a'nitem-entering-operation of the machine'an'd to controlthemovement of thetype bars 12 to printing position uring total-takingoperations thereof.Normally the "wheels 53 remain engaged with their associated racks atthe completion ofanoperationof the machine.

"The machine is'actuated by an electric motor (not shown), which isstarted by'the closing of a suitable switch mechanism, and is coupledwith-an actuating shaft '(not shown), by a suitableclutch mechanism,either manually upon the depression of a motor bar (not shown), orautomaticallyunder the control of the traveling paper carriage.The-actuating shaft is connected With the motor drive in such a mannerthat it is rocked first counterclockwise, and thenclockwise, whenviewing the machine as -it is illustrated in Figural, through an arc ofabout during each operation of the machine. 7

During an item entering operation of the-niachine, as the actuatingshaft is rocked counterclockwise, the wheels 53 are disengaged from theracks 5i or 52 and the type bars 52 carrying rods [3 exposed to thecontrol of the stops it are per mitted to rise to abut the stops andposition the type for printing the amount set up on the amount keys.Upon the start of the return or clockwise rocking of the actuatingshaft, "ham-- their normal position, as shown in Figure 3, while a camedge .57 provided on an upstanding bar filavcarried by the block 36 camson the rounded end of the extended stops it and restores them to theirnormal position, by means shown in the Sundstrand Patent 2,194,270referred to. These means include a link 58, Figure 3, connecting theswinging arm 22 and a bell crank 59 pivoted at on the machine base It.Pivoted on the bell crank 59 is a lever 6i extending rearwardly on themachine. Pivoted at 62 on the machine base is a lever 63 carrying a stud64 against which the lever B! is tensioned by a spring 65. A lever 65,rigid on the machine actuating shaft (not shown) when the machine is inits unoperated condition, bears on a lug 61 on the lever 6-3, to rockthe lever 63 about its pivot 62 and cause the stud 54 therein to pivotand hold the lever 6! clear of its path of movement, so that, during theentering of an amount in the keys I! and indexing of the swinging lever22, the lever 6! can move rearwardly upon the pivoting of the bell crank59 by the link 58. Upon the forward or counterclockwise rocking of theactuating shaft, the lever 65 moves away from the lug 6! on the lever53, whereupon the spring 65, acting on the lever 6! bearing on the stud64, rocks the lever 53 about its pivot 52 to stop against a stop 58 inthe machine base position the lever iii in the path of movement of thelever 65. During the return or clockwise rocking of the actuating shaft,the lever strikes and moves the lever 5i forwardly, to pivot the bellcrank 59 and, by means of the link 58, restore the swinging arm 22 toits normal position.

The disclosed machine is capable of performing total and sub-totaloperations. Since the sub total controls actuate total control memberiii and in addition disable the totalizer disengaging mechanism in themanner described in Patent No. 2,194,270 above, no distinction need bemade between these two operations so far as the present invention isconcerned.

During a sub-totalling or totalling operation of the machine, the wheels53 remain engaged with their associated racks during the rise of th typebars i2 and are rotated by the racks until they return to zero, and thelugs 5 thereon abut the transfer members 55 or 56 to arrest the typebars in printing position. During this movement of the type bars it, thestops M must be ineffective to arrest bars l2 and so cause an incorrecttotal to be printed. In prior machines, it has been necessary to movethe rods !8 to the Figure 3 position prior to taking a total to preventsuch interference and in such position, cam til-a has restored any setpins M to their unset position. Hence it has not been possible to retainan amount set up on stops it during a total-taking operation.

The present invention provides means whereby a sub-total or total of thetotalizer may be printed while retaining the amount entered in thenumeral keys H. To this accomplishment the vertically disposed rods l8are moved to a position where the rising of the type bars I2. isuncontrolled by the detent plate 38 and stops it and is controlled bythe lugs 54 in the totalizer wheels 53 acting upon the transfer devices55 or 56, during a total-taking operation of the machine. To do this alever 85 is fixed to the yoke 46, said lever having a leg 86 engageableby a lever 37 pivoted at 88 on the machine base it. An extension 89 ofthe lever 8'! rests in front of a lug 95 forming part of a member 9!mounted for movement forwardly in the machine either manually upon thedepression of a total key 82 to rock a cradle 93 connected at 94 withthe member 91 or automatically under the control of the trave ing papercarriage, to condition the machine for total-taking, in the mannerdescribed in the patent referred to, said member 9i being returned toits normally rearward position by means of a spring (not shown). Duringthe forward movement of the member 9!, the lever 87 is moved about itspivot 88 by the lug 90 to strike the leg 85 of the member 85 and rockthe yoke :36 oounterclockwise about the shaft 41; while the links 44,cooperating with the rollers 35 riding in the channel 40, move thebracket 3i rearwardly until the front end of the slots 32 providedtherein bear against the studs 33 and position the vertically disposedrods l8 to th rear of and clear of such of the stops it which wereextended by the entering of an amount in keys IT, as illustrated inFigure 2. With the rods i8 so positioned, the type bars I2 are free torise to print the sub-total under the control of the lugs 54 in thetotalizer wheels 53. During the restoration of the type bars i2 to theirnormally lowered position, the wheels 53 remain engaged with theirassociated racks 5! or 52 to return the wheels to their initial positionand retain the amount set up in the totalizer for totalling. Also,during the return of the type bars, the member 8| is spring returned toits rearward position, enabling the spring 49 to return the rods I8 tothe control of the detent plate 38 and the stops M.

A specimen of the work which may be performed on the present machine isillustrated in Figure 5. A journal sheet (or tally roll) 69 is rear fedinto the traveling paper carriage and a statement sheet 10 is front fedin front of the journal with carbon paper supported therebetween.Adjacent and to the right of the statement, a ledger H is front fed intothe carriage. An old balance, say $100.00 is entered, printed on thejournal and accumulated in the totalizer, and the carriage is tabulatedto the debit printing column where the debit $5.00 is entered in theamount keys and retained for repeat printing by means such as describedin the patent referred to. These means include a repeat key 12 supportedfor vertical slidable movement in the machine frame and arranged to belatched in its depressed position. The key T2 overlies a. bevel 13provided on a lever 14 slidably supported at 15 on the machine base,said lever being connected at 16 with a lever 11 pivoted at 18 on themachine base. Upon the depression and latching of the repeat key 12, itslower end, camping on the bevel l3, forces the lever 14 leftwardly topivot the lever 17 clockwise, whereupon an extension 19 thereof strikesa formed lug on the lever 63 and holds the lever 63 in its normallypivoted position, and where the stud 64 therein holds the lever 61 outof the path of movement of the lever 66, thereby preventing therestoration of the stops [4. Similarly, the restoration of the stops I4is prevented automatically by the movement of a lever 8| rearwardly byan automatic control actuated by the paper carriage in the mannerdescribed in the patent referred to, in which case a pin 82 thereinstrikes an extension 83 of the lever 63 and holds it in its normallypivoted position. With the amount entered in the amount keys, themachine conditioned for repeat printing in the manner described, and thedate entered for repeat printing on the date keys, in the mannerdescribed in the patent referred to, the motor bar (not shown), isdepressed to cycle the machine to print the amount and datesimultaneously on the statement 10 and journal 69 and add the amount inthe racks SI of the totalizer as a debit. Should stop to difierentiallylimit the movement of said type bars from home position, keyboardcontrolled means to relatively shift said stops and said slidablyconnected members, a cyclically operated restoring mechanism to restoresaid relatively shifted stops and slidably connected members to anoriginal position, manually operable repeat control means to enableretention of said stops and said slidably connected members in anyrelative position during a plurality of operations of said cyclingmeans, an accumulator, a total control member, cyclically operated meansto engage said accumulator with said type bars to enable saidaccumulator to differentially limit movement of said type bars from homeposition to a total representing position, a guide member carrying saidslidably connected members, members on said frame for supporting saidguide member for movement toward and away from a position wherein saidslidably connected members are not engageable with said set stops orsaid fixed stop in any relative position of said slidably connectedmembers and said stops, and means operated by said total control member,when operated to enable a total to be taken, to shift said guide andsaid slidably connected members carried thereby into said non-engagingposition, whereby only said accumulator is effective to limit movementof said type bars away from the home position in any relative positionof said slidably connected members and said stops.

WALTER A. ANDERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,194,270 Sundstrand Mar. 19, 1940 2,309,293 Anderson Jan. 26,1943 2,568,350 Mehan Sept. 18, 1951

